Controversial Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi promised a regional councillor accused of hiring prostitutes for his infamous 'bunga bunga' parties he would get her into Parliament.
Sleazy Berlusconi, 74, goes on trial tomorrow accused of having sex with 33 women at the parties, including exotic belly dancer Karima El Mahroug, who was just 17 years old when he met her.
Anglo-Italian former dental hygenist turned politician Nicole Minetti, 25, is said to have recruited the women and is now under investigation herself for her part in the scandal.
Today in wiretaps leaked from the case Berlusconi is quoted for the first time and heard praising Miss Minetti, calling her 'very good' and 'love'.
He adds: 'I hear only good things about you - from all of our members. The next time there is an election you will go into parliament'.
Only last week she told how her ambition was to be Italy's Foreign Minister.
In the eavesdropped conversation Berlusconi and Miss Minetti, whose mother Georgina Reid is from Newcastle, are heard discussing the investigation and Miss El Mahroug's age.
Berlusconi tells her: 'The important thing is there are several people who can testify that she said her age was different from what she said.
'Once that comes out nothing will happen. We were only helping her out.'
Berlusconi is also said to have abused his position of power as prime minister by calling police and asking for her to be freed when she was arrested for stealing 3,000 Euro.
The phrase bunga bunga is said to refer to a crude after dinner sex game that took place in a tacky disco built in the basement of Belusconi's palatial country residence at Arcore - nicknamed Hardcore - near Milan.
The women, who are mainly TV showgirls, models and beauty queens, are even said to have dressed as police officers, nurses and even in the strip of AC Milan - the Italian football team he owns.
Besides Moroccan born Miss El Mahroug the other women involved include TV showgirl Barbara Guerra, 25, the former stunning former girlfriend of Manchester City star Mario Balotelli.
A photograph of her dressed in a tight-fitting police uniform provocatively dangling handcuffs with her finger resting on her plumped pouting red lip forms part of the prosecution's case.
Miss Guerra denies any wrongdoing and has echoed Miss El Mahroug and the other women involved claims that nothing untoward ever took place at the parties and Berlusconi was 'perfectly gentlemanly'.
Prosecutors say the media tycoon gave them cash, jewellery, cars and even paid for breast and lip surgery in return for them attending his parties and allegedly performing sex attacks between themselves and him.
Berlusconi has laughed off the allegations and said that having sex with 33 women 'would be impossible for a man of 30 let alone 74' and has added his girlfriend, who he has never named, would 'gouge my eyes out'.
Prosecutors intend to call 132 witnesses as part of their case while defence lawyers have enlisted Hollywood star George Clooney and footballer Cristiano Ronaldo to help fight their case.
Defence lawyers say their testimony will help dismiss Miss El Mahroug's claims that she met Clooney at Berlusconi's house and that she was paid 4,000 Euro by the footballer for sex.
Besides the sex allegation he is also accused of abuse of office because he wrongly told police that Miss El Mahroug was related to Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and should be freed to avoid a diplomatic incident.
Tomorrow's hearing in Milan is expected to be purely technical with no evidence being heard and it will deal with setting dates for future hearings and Berlusconi will not attend.
The case is being heard by a three woman panel of judges and if convicted Berlusconi faces a maximum of three years in jail for the sex allegation and 12 years for the abuse of office.
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